News, that was revealed this year of a defense contractor losing sensitive data to China, has heightened the focus on NIST 800-171compliance. Protecting military data is a top priority for the DoD, and China is just one of many entities focused on nefariously obtaining this this information. Without critical defenses in place to safeguard data and information systems, agencies are left constantly exposed to thefts, hacks, and breaches potentially resulting in the permanent loss of sensitive data.
Read more about the hack here – link to
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/08/us/politics/china-hack-navy-contractor-.html